Al Jazeera English is in distribution talks with major TV operators across the US as it looks to meet greater demand for news about the Middle East after the Arab Spring.
The news station, based in Qatar, has for years been campaigning for wider distribution in the US, but has met with political obstructions due to perceptions about its Arabic-language sister channel.
But on Monday the English-language channel hit the airwaves in New York City - and said it was engaged in talks with numerous cable and satellite broadcasters over distribution in other parts of the US.
"We're in meetings with all the key cable and satellite operators," said Al Anstey, the managing director of Al Jazeera English.
Mr Anstey, who was in New York, said he was confident Al Jazeera English would be successful in securing wider distribution.
"It is a question of when, not if," he said. "We're making progress with some of the key players." Mr Anstey declined to name which carriers Al Jazeera was in negotiations with.
Al Jazeera English said on Monday it was available for the first time to cable-TV viewers in New York, through its launch on a channel carried by Time Warner Cable.
It will shortly launch on an additional broadcast carried by Verizon FiOS, bringing the total number of New York households that can access the channel to 2 million.
The broadcast deal was made between Al Jazeera and the RISE channel, which is operated by the privately-owned Regional News Network, based in New York.
Al Jazeera already attracts 500,000 New Yorkers as "regular visitors" to its website - and is launching on cable TV in response to that, Mr Anstey said.
"This launch has been fuelled by viewer demand. We are already part of the media landscape here, with one in 10 people having got information on events in America and the world from our website this year alone. We get more web traffic from New York than any other city on earth," he said.
Al Jazeera English is already on air in Washington, and select news bulletins are broadcast in some other parts of the US and in Latin America and Canada.
However, the channel had faced difficulty gaining distribution on major TV platforms in the US.
It said last year the Al Jazeera network - which also operates an Arabic-language channel - had faced "very aggressive hostility" from the Bush administration, blaming that for the reluctance of cable and satellite companies to carry the English-language channel. Some claimed the Al Jazeera Arabic channel was a platform for anti-American propaganda.
However, Mr Anstey said there had been a "sea change" in the attitude to Al Jazeera among senior political figures in the US.
Earlier this year the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton lauded the channel, saying that "viewership of Al Jazeera is going up in the United States because it's real news".
In May, senator John McCain praised Al Jazeera's role in the Arab Spring uprisings, saying he was "very proud of the role that Al Jazeera has played".
Mr Anstey said the Arab Spring has "certainly brought new viewers to our screens". Al Jazeera English has 70 bureaus around the world, and Mr Anstey said it was adding additional newsgathering offices in North America, Africa, Latin America and South Korea. Five additional bureaus will open "in the coming months", he said.
Al Jazeera, which is heavily subsidised by the Qatar government, said it would not be launching a dedicated advertising sales operation in the US.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg and Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud are reported to be in talks over an Arabic-language business news channel.
Plans for the launch of the channel are set to be announced imminently, said a person with knowledge of the situationwho wished to remain anonymous.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Company%20profile
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
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DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
The%20specs
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETuhoon%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYear%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFares%20Ghandour%2C%20Dr%20Naif%20Almutawa%2C%20Aymane%20Sennoussi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ehealth%20care%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E15%20employees%2C%20%24250%2C000%20in%20revenue%0D%3Cbr%3EI%3Cstrong%3Envestment%20stage%3A%20s%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWamda%20Capital%2C%20Nuwa%20Capital%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A